Window screen shutter



Feb. 3, 1948. G, A, B'ORTS 7 2,435,381

WINDOW SCREEN. SHUTTER Filed/Jan, 20, 1945 v9 M, F2925 11 George f1. BOFZ'S Patented Feb. 3, 1948 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE WINDOW SCREEN SHUTTER George A. Borts, Alliance, Ohio Application January 20, 1945, Serial No. 573,725

4 Claims.

The invention relates generally to ventilating screens for windows and more particularly to improvements upon the shutter operating means for such screens, as disclosed in my prior Patent No. 2,267,188, dated December 23, 1941.

This type of ventilating screen shutter is designed to automatically close by the occurrence of increased moisture in the air, so as to prevent rain or snow from damaging the interior of the room in the event the occupant is absent or asleep.

Such shutters are normally held in open position by means of a lever arm held in position by a latch means having a relatively weak, frangible member adapted to fracture and automatically release the lever arm to close the shutter when said frangible member is slightly moistened.

The present invention pertains more particularly to this lever arm, and has for its object the provision of a simple and easily operated lever arm having a novel pivotal joint by means of which the lever is not projected into the room when it is automatically released to close the shutter.

Another object is to provide an improved window screen shutter so constructed that none of the parts are projected inwardly when the latch means releases to automatically close the shutter.

Still another object of the invention is to provide a sliding, pivotal joint in the lever arm whereby the lever arm remains in vertical position during the closing movement of the shutter.

A further object is to provide a lever arm having a sliding pivotal joint by means of which the lever may be quickly and easily operated to open the shutter.

A still further object is to provide a window screen shutter hinged at its upper edge and having a yoke rigidly connected to its upper portion at an angle to the plane of the shutter, said yoke having a ring pivoted therein and a headed rod slidably located through the ring and adapted to engage a socket in the yoke.

The above objects, together with others which will be apparent from the drawings and following description, or which may be later referred to, may be attained by constructing the improved window screen shutter in the manner illustrated in the accompanying drawings, showing one embodiment of the invention, in which;

Figure l is an inside elevation of thelower portion of a window frame having a ventilator screen positioned therein and provided with the improved shutter, which is in the open position;

Fig. 2 is a vertical sectional view, on a slightly larger scale, taken as on the line 2--2, Fi 1;

Fig. 3 is a view similar to Fig. 2, showing the shutter in closed position;

Fig. 4 an enlarged detail sectional view through the yoke forming the sliding pivot in the lever arm, showing the parts in the position for holding the shutter in open position, and

Fig. 5 a sectional view through the sliding pivotal joint, showing the parts in the position they assume when the latch means is released and the shutter is closed.

Referring now more particularly to the embodiment of the invention shown in the drawings, in which similar numerals refer to similar parts, the improved screen shutter is illustrated as applied to a ventilator screen designed to be placed beneath a partially opened window sash, but it should be understood that this is merely for the purpose of illustration and that the improved shutter may be applied to any other form of window screen or ventilator without in any way changing the construction or operation of the shutter or lever arm, and without departing from the scope of the invention as defined in the appended claims.

The lower portion of a window frame of any usual and ordinary construction is shown at I0, and a portion of the lower sash l l is shown vertically slidable therein between the parting strips l L and the inner stop strips I3, as in conventional double-hung window construction.

The ventilator, with the improved shutter thereon, is adapted to fit within the window frame Iii, beneath the partially raised lower sash H, and may include a frame consisting of the top member M, bottom member I5 and side members 16, which frame may be of any suitable material and construction.

Any suitable ventilating screen material, which may be ordinary wire screening or an open mesh fabric, as shown at IT, may be mounted within the frame |4H5IE in any usual manner.

The shutter for covering the screen IT, is indicated generally at I8, and may be hinged at its upper edge to the upper screen frame member Hi, as indicated at !9, for swinging outwardly and upwardly from the frame to the open position shown in Fig. 2.

This shutter may be of any suitable material and construction and is shown as formed of a may be waterproof fabric such as airplane fabric or the like as indicated at l8. 7

Stop shields are preferably provided for the ends of the shutter in open position, and as shown at 2! these shields may be formed of sheet metal or other suitable material of triangular shape, attached to the upper portion of the ventilator frame and having the inturned flanges 22 at their upper edges which serve as stops for limiting upward swinging movement of the shutter, while the shields serve to prevent rain from passing laterally under the shutter when the v near the window at the time that the latch means same is open. i

All of the above described parts may be of the same construction and arrangement as'disclosed in my prior patent, above referred to and in. themselves form no part of the present invention is automatically released and the shutter closes. From the above it will be obvious that a simple,

inexpensive and easily operated device is provided for quickly and readily placing the shutter in open position and for safely operating without except in their association with the improved pivoted lever arm to which the invention per'-' tains, which will now be described in detail.

This lever arm includes a yoke 23 rigidly connected to the upper portion of the shutter l8 upon the inner side thereof and preferably at its central portion as indicated in the drawings.

This yoke may be attached by means of the short angular rod 24 rigidly connected to the shutter and having the screw threaded end 25 which is screwed into the internally threaded socket 225 at theupper end of the yoke 23." A ring 2'! is pivoted Within the yoke 23 as at 28 and the headed rod 29 is slidably located through said ring.

In order to set the shutter in open position the head 30 of the rod 29 is inserted into the lower end of the socket 25 and the rod 29 swun down to vertical position, raising the shutter I8 to the open position as shown in Fig. 2, and a strip of frangible material, such as absorbent paper indicated at 3i, is placed in the latch member indicated generally at 32 to engage the inner side of the rod 29 near the lower end thereof to hold the shutter in open position.

The latch member 32 and the frangible element or paper 3! may be of the same construction and arrangement as illustrated-and described in detail in my prior patent, or any other construction and arrangement which will answer the purpose. The frangible paper 3i has sufficient strength to hold the shutter open under normal conditions but is of such composition that it is quickly weakened by the presence of excessive moisture so that it will break and release the lever arm permitting the weight of the shutter I8 to closethe'same by gravity.

In the operation of the improved device, assumto the weight of the shutter will fracture the g paper element 3! and the shutter will swin by gravity to closed position as shown in Fig. 3 so as to completely cover the screen I! against the entrance of moisture into the room.

' As the paper element 3! is fractured and the lever arm is released the headed rod 29 will by gravity drop immediately so that the head 3Q thereof is removed from the socket 26 of the yoke, and the head will rest upon the ring 2? as shown in Figs. 3 and 5. The weight of the headed rod danger of injury or damage when the latch means is released and the shutter automatically closes.

I claim: 1'. Ventilator and shutter construction includ ing a ventilator frame, a shutter hinged at its upper edge to said frame'for swinging downwardat an angle to said shutter, a ring pivoted in said yoke, a rod slidably mounted near its upper end in said ring, a shoulderatthe upper end of the rod, a socket in the yoke adapted to receive the upper end of said rod, and latch means on the frame releasably engaging the lower portion of the rod when the upper end of the rod is engaged in said socket for holding the shutter in open position and arranged to fracture when moistened to released the lever arm for automatically closing the shutter. r I r 2. Ventilator and shutter construction including a ventilator frame, a shutter hinged at its upper edge to said frameforswinging downwardly thereon by gravity, a folding lever arm comprising a yoke, means rigidly attaching the yoke at anangle to the shutter, a ring pivoted in said yoke, a rod slidably mounted near its upper end in said ring, a head at the upper end of the 'rod, a socket in the yoke adapted to receive said head, and latch means on the frame releasably engaging the lower portion of the rod when the head on the upper end of the rod is engaged in said socket for holding the shutter in open position and arranged to fracture when moistened to release the lever arm for automatically'closing the shutter.

3 Ventilator and shutter construction including a ventilator frame, a shutter hinged at its upper edge to said frame for swinging downwardly thereon by gravity, a folding lever arm comprising a yoke, means rigidly attaching the yoke at an angle to said shutter, a rod, means slidably and pivotally mounting the rod near its upper end in said yoke, a shoulder at the upper end of the rod, a socket in the yoke adapted to receive the upper end of said rod, and latchmeans on .the frame releasably engaging the lower portion 'ofthe rod'when the upper end of the rod is ening a ventilator frame, a shutter hinged at its upper-edge to said frame for swinging downwardly thereon by gravity, a folding lever arm comprising a yoke, means rigidly attaching theyoke at an angle to the shutter, a ring pivoted in said yoke, a rod slidably mounted near its upper end in said ring, a head at the upper end of the rod, 2. socket in the yoke adapted to receive said head, and latch means on the frame releasably engaging the lower portion of the rod when the head on the upper end of the rod is engaged in said socket for holding the shutter in open position and arranged to fracture when moistened to release the lever arm for automatically closing the shutter, and stop means upon the yoke for engaging the pivoted ring and holding the rod in vertical position when the latch means is fractured.

GEORGE A. BORTS.

REFERENCES CITED 2 The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 2,267,188 Borts Dec. 23, 1941 652,414 Wilson June 26, 1900 1,039,986 Merritt Oct. 1, 1912 2,216,026 Smith Sept, 24, 1940 

